Metro Church’s plan to build world’s tallest cathedral on the Gold Coast

A charismatic Pentecostal Christian church wanted to build the world’s tallest cathedral on the Gold Coast at a ratepayer-owned site. But city leaders had other ideas. SEE THE PLANS

A CHARISMATIC Pentecostal Christian church wanted to build the world’s tallest cathedral on the Gold Coast.

That was the bold plan pitched by the Metro Church to Gold Coast leaders in a bid to establish its congregation as one of the world's most powerful.

The idea was first unveiled in 2009 by pastor Garry McDonald, the church’s founder, who said it would put the city on the map.

Earmarked for a Robina site near the Avica Resort, Mr McDonald told the Bulletin at the time it was all part of the plan to grow the faithful.

Metro Church's planned "Cathedral Australia" which it hoped to build at Robina in 2012.

“This is not about ego, this is about celebrating the glory of God,’’ he said,

“It is a crazy idea but we’re excited about the possibility. It could be the jewel in the region.

“Cities around Australia and the rest of the world have that iconic church or place of worship and it is something the Gold Coast lacks.

“We have plans over the next five years. We’re already establishing a Tweed base and the next step is to build a new centre, which would be capped off with the spire.’’

Fast forward to December 2012 and Mr McDonald took his plans to the next level, unveiling designs which showed a 165m spire.

Metro Church Pastor Garry Mac had lofty plans to build his spire in Robina.

A decade ago this week, he asked the Gold Coast City Council to agree to a landswap – handing over 8ha of the Greenheart site in exchange for a 99ha rainforest site in Tallebudgera Valley.

The church, to be known as Australia Cathedral, would be built by 2018 he claimed.

“They have been in talks with Commonwealth Games organisers to see it used for the 11-day event,” the Bulletin reported at the time.

“The negotiations between the church’s senior pastor, Garry ``Mac’’ McDonald, and Mayor Tom Tate’s office have been ongoing for more than six months.”

How the Bulletin reported on the story in 2012.

Cr Tate was initially supportive of the idea.

“We always focus on big projects to the east. This will give us something iconic to the west,’’ he said in 2012.

However, the recently elected Mayor was dealt his first blow after the deal was knocked back by city leaders.

“Councillors said the application was full of holes, the land being offered in return was ‘useless’ and questioned what Metro Church’s long-term intentions were for the site,” the Bulletin reported following the 90-minute debate.

Despite hopes of reviving the idea, it never again went before the council.

Mr McDonald left the church in 2020.

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